All about the repair and decoration of apartments

What lands the Normans conquered. Normans

Encyclopedic YouTube

  • 1 / 5

    The Normans are participants in sea voyages to the territory of the Franks of the late VIII - mid XI centuries. Historians describe the Normans as greedy, warlike, hardy, eloquent, prone to mixing with an alien population. The first period of Norman expansion (late VIII-IX centuries) was characterized by scattered expeditions against the Frankish state, attacks on the shores of England, Scotland, Ireland and their relocation to the Orkney, Faroe, Hebrides and Shetland Islands, and somewhat later - to Iceland. From the end of the 9th century, larger groups of Normans attacked France and England, passing from robbery and collecting tribute to the settlement of conquered territories. In Northern France they found the Duchy of Normandy (911), conquer northeastern England. At the beginning of the 10th century, all of England was already subordinate to the Danish kings. The campaigns of the Normans ceased around the middle of the 20th century. The descendants of the Normans - natives of Normandy - subjugated England in the 2nd half of the ΧΙ century (Norman conquest of England, 1066), as well as Southern Italy and Sicily, having founded the Sicilian kingdom here.

    Normans in France

    Normans in Scotland

    The Normans, who had actively colonized East Anglia and Ireland since the end of the 8th century, paid less attention to Scotland. Norwegian colonization affected only the islands adjacent to Scotland - Orkney, Shetland and Hebrides, as well as the western and northern coasts of Scotland. In the occupied territories, the Normans created strongholds for the attack on Ireland. Norwegians brought their own language - the West Norwegian Norn - and laws. In the Shetland Islands, the norn existed as a spoken language until the 19th century. The picts who lived in these territories before the arrival of the Norwegians were partly assimilated, and partly exterminated. At the end of the reign of King Harald I the Fair-haired (beginning of the 10th century), the islands captured by the Norwegians, the west coast and the north of the main part of Scotland - Caithness and Sutherland - formally became part of Norway, forming, together with the Faroe Islands, the county of Orkney. At the end of the 10th century, the county of Orkney was Christianized - before Christianity was established in Scandinavia. The Scottish kings only in the middle of the XIII century, when Scotland was already under Anglo-Norman influence, managed to stop the Norwegian expansion and regain the Hebrides and the entire coast of the main part of Scotland. Thus, the period of Norman presence in the British Isles came to an end. After another 200 years, the Shetland and Orkney Islands were transferred to the Scottish crown.

    Normans in Ireland

    Having captured the Shetland, Orkney and Hebrides islands in the 8th century, the Normans launched predatory raids (lasting about 200 years) into Irish territory, and soon proceeded to the creation of settlements in Ireland. In 798, the Norwegians settled in the Dublin area, and from 818 they began to colonize the southern coast, creating settlements near the current cities of Wexford and Cork. In Ulster, the Normans took possession of the church capital of Ireland - the city of Armagh, and in the west founded a colony, which later became the city and port of Limerick, at the confluence of the Shannon River into the estuary, which cuts deep into the island. Relying on these settlements, the Normans made numerous predatory expeditions, penetrating rivers into the interior of the island. The main object of robbery was the richest and most developed southern and eastern parts of Ireland. In the first half of the 9th century, one of the leaders of the Normans, Torgils actually kept a significant part of the island under his command. The city of Athlone made the capital of Torgils the city of Athlone on the Shannon River, by Lake Loch Ree.

    The dominance of foreigners led to the liberation struggle, which intensified especially at the beginning of the XI century. The battle was led by local leaders - King of Manster Brian Boru and ruler Mita Malachi. Malachi defeated the Norman forces and drove the Normans out of Dublin. In 998, Malachi was recognized as King of Ulster, losing Dublin to Briand, who since 1002 assumed the title of ardri (High King) of Ireland. Briand carried out political reform, tried to tighten the tax system, built many fortresses on the Shannon River, created a strong fleet, preparing for the upcoming battles for the liberation of Ireland from the Normans.

    At the end of 1013, taking advantage of the rebellion raised against Brian by the ruler of Dublin, the Normans began to gather strength, sending reinforcements to the Orkney Islands, Norway and Denmark. The decisive battle took place in 1014 near Dublin at the Wolf's Meadow (now Klontarf). The Normans and their allied separatists were completely defeated. 88-year-old Brian died in this battle. As a result of the Battle of Clontarf, Ireland was freed from a foreign yoke. The robber raids of the Normans also occurred after the Battle of Klontarf, but became rarer and less dangerous.

    The bicentennial domination and predatory raids of the Normans caused great damage to Ireland and slowed down its economic and social development.

    Normans in the Mediterranean

    The only hike in which Norman ships passed through the Strait of Gibraltar to the Mediterranean Sea dates from around 860 and is attributed to the semi-legendary king of Sweden, Björn Zheleznobokom. The Normans plundered the coast of North Africa, Valencia, the Balearic Islands, Provence, and northwestern Italy and returned without hindrance. The Normans fell into the Mediterranean and in another way - as mercenaries in the Byzantine forces. In particular, in the XI century. a squad of Scandinavian mercenaries participated in the Byzantine wars against the Normans and Sicilian Arabs over southern Italy. Normans entered Byzantium through Russia.

    Norman Warriors

    The Norman military class was new and markedly different from the old Frankish aristocracy, many of whose representatives could trace their origin to the time of the Carolingian, and the Normans rarely could remember their ancestors before the XI century. Most knights were poor and poor in land; Normandy supplied the armed riders for a whole generation. Chivalry at that time had a low position in society, and showed that a person was just a professional warrior.

    Tongue

    The Normans spoke Old Norse, which formed around the 8th century. and existed until about the XIV century. Old Norse language fell into two dialects: eastern and western.

    On the basis of the western dialect, Norwegian, Faroe and Icelandic languages \u200b\u200bdeveloped, as well as extinct by the 19th century. norn The eastern dialect broke up into Swedish and Danish.

    In countries where Norman settlers mixed with the local population, the Old Norse language did not survive and did not develop into independent languages, but had more or less influence on local languages \u200b\u200bor their regional variants. In Normandy, the interaction of local Old French dialects with the Old Norse language led to the formation of the Norman language, which can be considered as a regional version of the Old French language. To a lesser extent, the influence of the Old Norse language is manifested in the Celtic languages \u200b\u200bof the British Isles - Gaelic, Irish, Manx. The English language was strongly influenced by the Old Norse language, both directly from the Normans during the 8th-11th centuries, and indirectly through the Norman language, which (in the Anglo-Norman version) was the official language of England under the kings of the Norman dynasty and the first kings of the Plantagenet dynasty (from the middle of the XI century until about the XIV century.). The Scottish regional version of the English language was additionally influenced by the Scottish (Celtic) substrate, which also experienced Scandinavian influence in its time.

    Notes

    Literature

    • Anokhin G.I.   To the ethnic history of the Greenland Normans // Romania and Barbaria. To the ethnic history of the peoples of foreign Europe: Sat. / Ed. S.A. Arutyunova et al. - M. Nauka 1989 .-- S. 131-163.
    • Arbman Holger.   Vikings / Ed. A.A. Khlevova. - St. Petersburg: Eurasia, 2003 .-- 320 p. - Series "Barbaricum". - 2000 copies. - ISBN 5-8071-0133-2.
    • Bayok Jesse.   Viking Age Iceland. - M .: Astrel, 2012 .-- 912 p. - Series "Corpus".
    • Barlow Frank.   William I and the Norman Conquest of England / Transl. from English S.V. Ivanova. - St. Petersburg: Eurasia, 2007 .-- 320 p. - Series "Clio". - ISBN 978-5-8071-0240-1
    • Buyer Regis.   Vikings: History and Civilization. Per. with fr. - SPb. : Eurasia, 2012 .-- 416 p. - 3000 copies. - ISBN 978-5-91852-028-4.
    • Budur N.V.   Vikings. Pirates of the North. - M .: Olma-Press, 2005 .-- 336 p. - Series “World History. Civilizations and Ethnicities. "
    • Budur N.V.   Everyday life of the Vikings. IX - XI centuries. - M.: Young Guard, 2007 .-- 463 p. - Series “Living History. The daily life of mankind. ”
    • Vikings. Forays from the North:   Sat / Per. from English L. Florentieva. - M .: Terra, 1996 .-- 168 p .: ill. - Series "Encyclopedia" Disappeared Civilizations "". - ISBN 5-300-00824-3.
    • Gedeonov S.A.   Varangians and Russia. Exposing the Norman myth. - M .: Eksmo; Algorithm, 2012 .-- 288 p. - Series “The True History of Russia”. -.
    • Jones Gwyn.   Vikings. Descendants of Odin and Thor. - M.: Tsentrpoligraf, 2003 .-- 448 p.
    • Jones Gwyn.   Normans. Conquerors of the North Atlantic. - M.: Tsentrpoligraf, 2003 .-- 301 p.
    • Jewett Sarah Orne.   Norman Conquest. Minsk: Harvest, 2003 .-- 304 p. - Series “Historical Library”. - ISBN 985-13-1652-0.
    • Dougherty Martin J.   Viking world. The daily life of the Children of Odin / Per. from English V. L. Silaeva. - M.: Publishing House "E", 2015. - 224 p.: Ill. - Series “The Dark Side of History”. - ISBN 978-5-699-84607-8.
    • Douglas David C.   Normans: from conquest to achievement. 1050-1100 / Per. from English E. S. Marnitsina. Ed. A.A. Khlevova. - St. Petersburg: Eurasia, 2003 .-- 416 p. - Series "Clio". - ISBN 5-8071-0126-X. . - M .: Progress, 1985 .-- 304 s.
    • Musse Lucien.   Barbarian invasions of Western Europe: Wave Two. - St. Petersburg: Eurasia, 2001 .-- 352 p. - Series "Barbaricum".
    • Nikitin A. L.   The Royal Saga // In the book: Nikitin A. L. Bonfires on the shores: Notes of an archaeologist. - M .: The Young Guard. 1986.- S. 333-493.
    • Norwich John.   Normans in Sicily. The Second Norman Conquest. 1016-1130 M .: Tsentrpoligraf, 2005 .-- 368 p.
    • Norwich John.   Normans in Sicily. The heyday and sunset of the Sicilian kingdom. 1130-1194 M .: Tsentrpoligraf, 2005 .-- 400 p.
    • Petukhov Yu. D.   Normans - Russes of the North. - M .: Veche, 2008 .-- 368 p. - A series of "Secrets of the Russian Land."
    • Rex Peter.   1066. A New History of the Norman Conquest / Per. from English I.I. Khazanova. - St. Petersburg: Eurasia, 2000 .-- 336 p.: Ill. - Series "Clio". - ISBN 978-5-91852-052-9
    • Slavs and Scandinavians:   Sat / Per. with him. Ed. Cand. filol. Sciences E. A. Melnikova. - M .: Progress, 1986. - 416 p. + 24 s. col. ill. [Orig. Ed .: Wikinger und Slawen: Zur Frühgeschichte der Ostseevölker. - Akademie-Verlag, Berlin, 1982]
    • Sawyer Peter.   Viking Age. - St. Petersburg: Eurasia, 2002 .-- 352 p. - Series "Clio Expansiva". - ISBN 5-8071-0104-9.
    • Stringholm Anders Magnus.   Viking Campaigns / Per. with him. A. Shemyakin. Ed. A.A. Khlevova. - M .: LLC "Publishing house AST", 2002. - 736 p. - Series “Historical Library”.
    • Tyander K.F.   Scandinavian trips to the White Sea. - SPb .: Type. I.N. Skorokhodova, 1906.- 464 p.
    • Fetisov A.A., Shchavelev A.S. Vikings. Between Scandinavia and Russia. - M .: Veche, 2009 .-- 336 p. - Series "Terra Historica". - ISBN 978-5-9533-2840-1.
    • Hit I.   Vikings. History. Armament. Tactics. - M.: LLC AST, Astrel 2004. - 64 p.: Ill. - Series "Elite troops."
    • Tsepkov A.I.   The armament of the Vikings in the IX – XI centuries. According to the Icelandic sagas and the "Circle of the Earth." - Ryazan: Alexandria, 2013 .-- 320 p.
    • Chartrand R., Nicole D., Gravett K.   and other Northern conquerors. Normans and Vikings. - M .: Eksmo, 2013 .-- 448 p.: Ill. - Series "Military History of Mankind".

    The word "Viking" goes back to the ancient Norwegian "Viking". Concerning its origin, there are a number of hypotheses, the most convincing of which leads him to the "wik" - fiord, bay. The word “Viking” (lit. “man from the fjord”) was used to refer to robbers who acted in coastal waters, hiding in secluded bays and bays. In Scandinavia, they were known long before they became notorious in Europe. The French called the Vikings Normans or various versions of the word (Norsmanns, Northmanns - letters. "People from the North"); the British indiscriminately called all the Scandinavians the Danes, and the Slavs, Greeks, Khazars, Arabs called the Swedish Vikings Rus or Varangians.

    Wherever the Vikings went - to the British Isles, France, Spain, Italy or North Africa - they ruthlessly plundered and seized foreign lands. In some cases, they settled in conquered countries and became their rulers. Danish Vikings conquered England for some time, settled in Scotland and Ireland. Together, they conquered part of France, known as Normandy. Norwegian Vikings and their descendants created colonies on the islands of the North Atlantic - Iceland and Greenland and founded a settlement on the coast of Newfoundland in North America, however, did not last long. Swedish Vikings began to rule in the east of the Baltic. They spread widely throughout Russia and, going down the rivers to the Black and Caspian Seas, even threatened Constantinople and some parts of Persia. The Vikings were the last German barbarian conquerors and the first European pioneer navigators.

    There are various interpretations of the reasons for the violent outbreak of Viking activity in the 9th century. There is evidence that Scandinavia was overpopulated and many Scandinavians went abroad in search of happiness. The rich, but unprotected cities and monasteries of the southern and western neighbors were easy prey. It was hardly possible to get a rebuff from the scattered kingdoms on the British Isles or the weakened empire of Charlemagne, absorbed in dynastic strife. During the Viking era, national monarchies gradually consolidated in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. The ambitious leaders and powerful clans fought for power. The defeated leaders and their supporters, as well as the younger sons of the victorious leaders, shamelessly perceived unhindered robbery as a way of life. Energetic young people from influential families usually gained authority by participating in one or more trips. Many Scandinavians in the summer engaged in robbery, and then turned into ordinary landowners. However, the Vikings were attracted not only by the temptation of prey. The prospect of establishing trade paved the way for wealth and power. In particular, immigrants from Sweden controlled trade routes in Russia.

    The English term "Viking" comes from the Old Norse word víkingr, which could have several meanings. The most acceptable, apparently, the derivation from the word vík is a bay, or bay. Hence the word víkingr translates as "a man from the gulf." This term was used to refer to robbers hiding in coastal waters, long before the Vikings gained bad reputation in the outside world. However, not all Scandinavians were sea robbers, and the terms “Viking” and “Scandinavians” cannot be regarded as synonyms. The French usually called the Vikings Normans, and the British indiscriminately attributed all the Scandinavians to the Danes. The Slavs, Khazars, Arabs and Greeks who communicated with the Swedish Vikings, called them Rus or Varangians.

    LIFESTYLE

    Overseas, the Vikings acted as robbers, conquerors and merchants, and at home they mainly cultivated the land, hunted, fished and raised livestock. An independent peasant who worked on his own or with relatives was the basis of Scandinavian society. No matter how small his allotment, he remained free and was not attached as a serf to the land that belonged to another person. Family ties were strongly developed in all sections of Scandinavian society, and in important matters its members usually acted together with relatives. Clans jealously guarded the good names of their fellow tribesmen, and violating the honor of either of them often led to violent strife.

    Women in the family played an important role. They could own property, independently decide on marriage and divorce from the wrong spouse. However, outside the family hearth, women's participation in public life remained negligible.

    Food.

    In Viking times, most people ate twice a day. The main products were meat, fish and cereal grains. Meat and fish were usually cooked, less often fried. For storage, these products were dried and salted. Of the cereals, rye, oats, barley and several types of wheat were used. Usually porridge was cooked from their grains, but sometimes bread was baked. Vegetables and fruits were rarely eaten. Of the drinks, they consumed milk, beer, a fermented honey drink, and imported wine in the upper classes of society.

    Clothing.

    Peasant clothing consisted of a long wool shirt, short baggy pants, stockings and a rectangular cloak. The Vikings from the upper classes wore long pants, socks and capes of bright colors. In the course were woolen mittens and hats, as well as fur hats and even felt hats. High society women usually wore long clothing consisting of a bodice and a skirt. Thin chains hung from buckles on clothes, to which scissors and a case for needles, a knife, keys and other small items were attached. Married women put their hair in a bun and wore white linen cones of a conical shape. Unmarried girls had their hair tied up with a ribbon.

    Home.

    Peasant dwellings were usually simple one-room houses built either from tightly fitted vertical beams, or more often from wicker vines coated with clay. Wealthy people usually lived in a large rectangular house, which housed numerous relatives. In heavily forested Scandinavia, such houses were built of wood, often in combination with clay, and in Iceland and Greenland, in conditions of lack of wood, local stone was widely used. They folded walls with a thickness of 90 cm or more. Roofs are usually laid out of peat. The central living room of the house was low and dark, in the middle of it was a long hearth. They cooked there, ate and slept. Sometimes inside the house along the walls, columns were installed in a row that supported the roof, and the side rooms thus fenced off were used as bedrooms.

    Literature and art.

    The Vikings appreciated skill in battle, but no less respected literature, history and art.

    Viking literature existed verbally, and only some time after the end of the Viking era did the first written works appear. The runic alphabet then was used only for inscriptions on tombstones, for magic spells and short messages. But in Iceland preserved rich folklore. It was recorded at the end of the Viking era using the Latin alphabet by scribes who wanted to perpetuate the exploits of their ancestors.

    Among the treasures of Icelandic literature, long prose narratives known as sagas stand out. They are divided into three main types. In the most important, the so-called family sagas describe the real characters of the Viking era. Several dozens of family sagas have been preserved, five of which are comparable in volume to large novels. Two other types are historical sagas telling of the Norwegian kings and the settlement of Iceland, and the fiction sagas of the late Viking era of adventure reflecting the influence of the Byzantine Empire and India. Another major prose work that appeared in Iceland is Younger Edda   - A collection of myths recorded by Snorri Sturluson, an Icelandic historian and politician of the 13th century.

    At a premium, the Vikings had poetry. The Icelandic hero and adventurer Egil Skallagrimsson was no less proud of the title of poet than achievements in battle. Improvisation poets (skalds) praised the virtues jarls (leaders) and princes in complex poetic stanzas. Skald’s poetry was much simpler than the songs about the gods and heroes of the past, preserved in a collection known as Elder Edda.

    The art of the Vikings was primarily decorative. The prevailing motifs - bizarre animals and vibrant abstract compositions of interwoven ribbons - were used in wood carvings, fine gold and silver jewelry and ornaments on runic stones and monuments, which were set to capture important events.

    Religion.

    Initially, the Vikings worshiped pagan gods and goddesses. The most important of them were Thor, Edin, Frey and the goddess Freyja, of lesser importance were Njord, Ull, Balder and several other house gods. Gods were worshiped in temples or in sacred forests, groves and springs. The Vikings also believed in many supernatural beings: trolls, elves, giants, aquatic and magical inhabitants of forests, hills and rivers.

    Often bloody sacrifices took place. Sacrificial animals were usually eaten by the priest and his entourage at feasts that were arranged in temples. There were human sacrifices, even ritual killings of kings to ensure the welfare of the country. In addition to priests and priestesses, there were sorcerers engaged in black magic.

    The people of the Viking era attached importance to luck as a type of spiritual power inherent in any person, but especially to leaders and kings. Nevertheless, a pessimistic and fatalistic attitude was characteristic of that era. Fate was presented as an independent factor standing above the gods and people. According to some poets and philosophers, people and gods were doomed to go through a powerful struggle and cataclysm, known as Ragnarök (Isl. - “doomsday”).

    Christianity was slowly spreading to the north and represented an attractive alternative to paganism. In Denmark and Norway, Christianity was established in the 10th century, Icelandic leaders adopted the new religion in 1000, and Sweden in the 11th century, but pagan beliefs persisted in the north of this country until the beginning of the 12th century.

    MILITARY ART

    Viking Campaigns.

    Detailed information about the Viking campaigns is known mainly from written reports of victims who did not spare paints to describe the ruin that the Scandinavians carried with them. The first Viking campaigns were carried out on the basis of the “hit and run” principle. They appeared without warning from the sea on light high-speed vessels and attacked poorly guarded objects known for their wealth. The Vikings chopped a few defenders with swords, and the rest of the inhabitants were enslaved, seized values, yet the rest was put on fire. Gradually they began to use horses in their campaigns.

    Weapons

    Viking weapons were bow and arrows, as well as a variety of swords, spears and battle axes. Swords and spearheads and arrowheads were usually made of iron or steel. Yew or elm wood was preferred for bows, and braided hair was usually used as a bowstring.

    Viking shields were round or oval. Usually light pieces of linden wood went to the shields, beaten along the edge and across with iron strips. In the center of the shield was a pointed plaque. For protection, warriors also wore metal or leather helmets, often with horns, and noble warriors often wore chain mail.

    Viking ships.

    The highest technical achievement of the Vikings was their warships. These rooks, kept in exemplary order, were often described with great love in the poetry of the Vikings and were the subject of their pride. The narrow frame of such a vessel was very convenient for approaching the shore and quickly passing through rivers and lakes. Lighter ships were particularly suitable for a surprise attack; they could be dragged from one river to another to bypass rapids, waterfalls, dams and fortifications. The disadvantage of these vessels was that they were not sufficiently adapted for long voyages on the high seas, which was offset by the Viking navigational art.

    Viking rooks differed in the number of pairs of rowing oars, large vessels - in the number of rowing benches. 13 pairs of oars determined the minimum size of a combat ship. The very first vessels were designed for 40–80 people each, and a large keel vessel of the 11th century. accommodated several hundred people. Such large units exceeded 46 meters in length.

    Vessels were often built from boards laid in rows with overlapping and fastened by curved frames. Above the waterline, most warships were brightly colored. The carved heads of dragons, sometimes gilded, adorned the noses of ships. The same decoration could be at the stern, and in some cases the dragon's curly tail flaunted there. When swimming in the waters of Scandinavia, these jewelry were usually removed in order not to frighten the good spirits. Often, when approaching the port, shields were hung in rows on the sides of the vessels, but this was not allowed on the high seas.

    Viking ships moved with the help of sails and oars. A simple square sail made from rough canvas was often painted in stripes and cages. The mast could be shortened and even removed altogether. With the help of skillful devices, the captain could lead the ship against the wind. The vessels were driven by a paddle-shaped rudder mounted aft from the starboard side.

    Several surviving Viking ships are exhibited in museums in the Scandinavian countries. One of the most famous, discovered in 1880 in Gokstad (Norway), dates back to about 900 AD It reaches a length of 23.3 m and a width of 5.3 m. The vessel had a mast and 32 oars, it had 32 shields. In some places, elegant carvings were preserved. The navigational capabilities of such a vessel were demonstrated in 1893, when its finely made copy sailed from Norway to Newfoundland in four weeks. This copy is now in Lincoln Park in Chicago.

    HISTORY

    Vikings in Western Europe.

    Information about the first significant Viking raid dates back to 793 AD, when the monastery in Lindisfarne on the Isle of Holly off the Scottish east coast was looted and burned. Nine years later, the monastery in Iona on the Hebri Islands was devastated. These were the pirate raids of the Norse Vikings.

    Soon the Vikings began to seize large territories. At the end of the 9th - beginning of the 10th century. they took possession of the Shetland, Orkney and Hebrides islands and settled in the far north of Scotland. In the 11th century for unknown reasons, they left these lands. The Shetland Islands remained in the hands of the Norwegians until the 16th century.

    Norwegian Vikings raids on Ireland began in the 9th century. In 830 they created a settlement for wintering in Ireland and by 840 they took control of large territories of this country. The positions of the Vikings were mainly strong in the south and east. This situation continued until 1170, when the British invaded Ireland and drove the Vikings out of there.

    Mostly Danish Vikings entered England. In 835 they made a trip to the Thames estuary, in 851 settled on the islands of Sheppy and Thanet on the Thames estuary, and from 865 they began the conquest of East Anglia. King of Wessex Alfred the Great eventually stopped their progress, but was forced to cede lands located north of the line running from London to the north-eastern outskirts of Wales. This territory, called Danelagh (Danish Law Area), was gradually conquered by the British again in the next century, however, repeated Viking raids in the early 11th century. led to the restoration of the power of their king Knut and his sons, this time over all of England. Ultimately, in 1042, as a result of a dynastic marriage, the throne passed to the British. However, even after this, the Danes raided until the end of the century.

    Norman raids on the coastal areas of the Frankish state began in the late 8th century. Gradually, the Scandinavians entrenched at the mouth of the Seine and other rivers of northern France. In 911, the French king Charles III of Prostov concluded the forced peace with the Norman leader Rollon and granted him Rouen with surrounding lands, to which new territories were added several years later. The Duchy of Rollon attracted a lot of immigrants from Scandinavia and soon became known as Normandy. The Normans adopted the language, religion and customs of the Franks.

    In 1066, the Duke of Normandy William, who went down in history as William the Conqueror, the illegitimate son of Robert I, the descendant of Rollon and the fifth Duke of Normandy, invaded England, defeated King Harold (and killed him) at the Battle of Hastings and occupied the English throne. The Normans undertook conquests in Wales and Ireland, many of them settled in Scotland.

    At the beginning of the 11th century the Normans infiltrated southern Italy, where they participated in military operations against the Arabs in Salerno as hired soldiers. Then new immigrants began to arrive here from Scandinavia, who were entrenched in small towns, forcibly taking them from their former employers and their neighbors. The loudest fame among the Norman adventurers enjoyed the sons of Count Tancred of Otville, who in 1042 captured Puglia. In 1053 they defeated the army of Pope Leo IX, forcing him to conclude peace with them and give Apulia and Calabria as flax. By 1071, all of southern Italy fell under Norman rule. One of Tancred's sons, Duke Robert, nicknamed Guiscard ("The Sly One"), supported the pope in the fight against Emperor Henry IV. Brother Robert Roger I started a war with the Arabs in Sicily. In 1061 he took Messina, but only 13 years later the island fell under the rule of the Normans. Roger II united under his rule the Norman possessions in southern Italy and Sicily, and in 1130 Pope Anaclet II declared him king of Sicily, Calabria and Capua.

    In Italy, as elsewhere, the Normans demonstrated their amazing ability to adapt and assimilate in a foreign culture. The Normans played an important role in the Crusades, in the history of the Kingdom of Jerusalem and other states formed by the Crusaders in the East.

    Vikings in Iceland and Greenland.

    Iceland was discovered by Irish monks, and then at the end of the 9th century. populated by Norwegian Vikings. The first settlers were the leaders with their entourage, who fled from Norway from the despotism of King Harold, nicknamed the Fair-haired. For several centuries, Iceland remained independent, it was ruled by influential leaders, whom they called Godard. They met annually in the summer at the meetings of the althing, which was the prototype of the first parliament. However, the alting could not settle the feuds of the leaders, and in 1262 Iceland obeyed the Norwegian king. She regained independence only in 1944.

    In 986, the Icelander Eric Red led several hundred colonists to the southwest coast of Greenland, which he had discovered a few years earlier. They settled in the area of \u200b\u200bWesterbugden (the “western settlement”) at the edge of the ice cap on the banks of the Ameralik Fjord. Even for hardy Icelanders, the harsh conditions of southern Greenland proved to be a difficult test. Engaged in hunting, fishing and fishing for whales, they lived in this area approx. 400 years However, in about 1350 the settlements were completely abandoned. Historians have yet to find out why the colonists, having accumulated considerable experience of life in the North, suddenly left these places. Here, the cooling of the climate, chronic grain shortages and the almost complete isolation of Greenland from Scandinavia after the plague epidemic in the mid-14th century could probably play a major role.

    Vikings in North America.

    One of the most controversial issues of Scandinavian archeology and philology is related to the study of Greenlandic attempts to establish a colony in North America. In two Icelandic family sagas - Eric Red Saga   and Greenland saga- Details of a visit to the American coast of approx. 1000. According to these sources, North America was discovered by Biadni Heroulfsson, the son of the Greenland first settler, but the main characters of the sagas are Leif Ericsson, the son of Eric the Red, and Torfinn Tordarson, nicknamed Karlsabni. Leif Ericsson’s base was apparently located in L'Anse-o-Meadow, located in the far north of the coast of Newfoundland. Leif, along with his associates, carefully examined the more temperate climate zone, which he named Vinland. Karlsabni assembled a squad to create a colony in Vinland in 1004 or 1005 (the location of this colony could not be established.) The aliens met resistance from local residents and three years later were forced to return to Greenland.

    Leif Ericsson's brothers Thorstein and Thorvald also took part in the development of the New World. Torvald is known to have been killed by the natives. Greenlanders traveled to America beyond the forest after the end of the Viking Age.

    Almost annually they took campaigns, they occupied and owned it until 1036. During the Carolingian civil strife, the Normans ravaged and devastated the shores of northwestern Germany and France. The Normans were driven out of Germany by Arnulf the Carinthian victory at Leuven (891), while in France King Charles III of Prostovy ceded Normandy to the Norman leader Rollon (baptized by Robert), who recognized the French king as overlord.

    Norman expansion

    The Normans are participants in the Scandinavian sea voyages at the end of the VIII - the middle of the XI century. They called themselves the Vikings; Greeks and Slavs knew them under the name of Varangians, inhabitants of Western Europe - as Normans. The inhabitants of modern Norway, as well as Jutland, mainly sailed to Frankish lands. Historians describe the Normans as greedy, warlike, hardy, eloquent, inclined to mix with an alien population. Normans should not be confused with other Viking groups, for example, Danes in England or Varangians in Russia.

    Normans in France

    Coat of arms of the Dukes of Normandy

    In England, the Normans came as carriers of the French language, French culture (albeit with its own characteristics) and the French feudal state system. The conquerors brought with them the French language - its northern, Norman dialect. (The Normans are the Northern Vikings, whose homeland was Scandinavia. For the Normans, who adopted French culture and language, Scandinavia was the ancestral home). But the memory of her heroic ancestors was alive. Over time, the Normans migrated and occupied some territories in Europe.

    Over the centuries following the conquests, a so-called Anglo-Norman dialect was formed in England, which, as the name implies, included elements of both English and Norman. Anglo-Norman existed in England until the end of the XIV century, after which it disappeared without a trace. Until the fourteenth century, it was not only the language spoken by nobility, but also the language of fiction - however, there are few monuments left on it.

    Normans in Scotland

    Normans in Ireland

    The Normans had a significant influence on Irish culture, nationality, and history. At the beginning, in the XII century, they still retained their originality, but gradually adopted the culture of Ireland and became “more Irish than the Irish themselves” (since the Middle Ages, the common phrase in Latin is “Hiberniores Hibernis ipsis”, the origin is unknown). Settled mainly in the east of Ireland, in an area with a radius of about 20 miles around Dublin. Many palaces and settlements were built, including Trim Castle and Dublin Castle. The cultures mixed up, borrowing from each other vocabulary, skills and horizons.

    Normans in the Mediterranean

    Lucky gangs of Normans successfully sailed far south from Normandy. Groups of soldiers called up for service by the feudal lords of Southern Italy gradually received control over the cities of Avers and Capuy. Later, the Normans emerged from vassal dependence and conquered the provinces of Apulia and Calabria.

    From these bases, more organized principals were ultimately able to recapture the islands of Sicily and Malta from the Saracens. Regions ruled by the Normans included Abruzzi, Puglia,

    Normans (Normans, Nurmans, vikings   , letters. "Northern people") - a term used by the inhabitants of Western Europe in relation to to the Scandinavians   which devastated from the 8th to 11th centuries the sea robber raids of the European state. Part of one of the Scandinavian tribal formations - are given   - settled on the northern coast of France, where it recognized the nominal vassal dependence on francs   . Another part, mainly Norwegians, settled in East Anglia, where it mixed with the local population. Many historians identify with the Normans varangians   (cm. Norman Theory).

    Norman expansion

    The Normans are participants in sea voyages to the territory of the Franks of the late VIII - mid XI centuries. Historians describe the Normans as greedy, warlike, hardy, eloquent, prone to mixing with an alien population. The first period of Norman expansion (late VIII-IX centuries) was characterized by scattered expeditions against the Frankish state, attacks on the shores of England, Scotland, Ireland and their relocations to Orkney, Faroe, Hebrides and Shetland islands   , a little later - to Iceland. From the end of the 9th century, larger groups of Normans attacked France and England, passing from robbery and collecting tribute to the settlement of conquered territories. In northern France they found Duchy of Normandy   (911), conquer northeastern England. At the beginning of the XΙ century, the whole England   already been subordinate danish kings   . The campaigns of the Normans ceased around the middle of the 20th century. The descendants of the Normans - natives of Normandy - subdued England in the 2nd half of the ΧΙ century ( Norman Conquest of England   , 1066), and Southern Italy   and Sicily   having founded here (g.) Sicilian Kingdom.

    Normans in France

    Normans in Scotland

    The Normans, who had actively colonized East Anglia and Ireland since the end of the 8th century, paid less attention to Scotland. Norwegian colonization affected only the islands adjacent to Scotland - Orkney , Shetland   and Hebrides   as well as the west and north coast of Scotland. In the occupied territories, the Normans created strongholds for the attack on Ireland. Norwegians brought their language with them - West Norwegian norn   - and laws. In the Shetland Islands, the norn existed as colloquial speech until XIX century   . Living in these territories before the arrival of the Norwegians picts   were partly assimilated, partly exterminated. At the end of the reign of the king Harald I the fair-haired   (beginning of the tenth century) the islands captured by the Norwegians, the west coast and and the north of the main part of Scotland - Caithness   and Sutherland   - formally became part of Norway, forming, together with Faroe Islands , county Orkney   . At the end of the 10th century, the county of Orkney was Christianized - before Christianity was established in Scandinavia. Scottish kings only in the middle of the 13th century, when Scotland was already under anglo-Norman   influence, managed to stop the Norwegian expansion and return   Hebrides and the entire coast of the main part of Scotland. Thus, the period of Norman presence in the British Isles came to an end. After another 200 years, the Shetland and Orkney Islands were transferred to the Scottish crown.

    Normans in Ireland

    Having captured the Shetland, Orkney and Hebrides islands in the 8th century, the Normans launched predatory raids (lasting about 200 years) into Irish territory, and soon proceeded to the creation of settlements in Ireland. In 798, the Norwegians settled in the area Dublin   , and from 818 they began to colonize the southern coast, creating settlements near the current cities Wexford   and Cork   . IN Ulster   Normans seized the church capital of Ireland - the city Arm   , and in the west they founded a colony, which later became a city and port Limerick at the confluence of the river Shannon   in estuary   crashing deep into the island. Relying on these settlements, the Normans made numerous predatory expeditions, penetrating rivers into the interior of the island. The main object of robbery was the richest and most developed southern and eastern parts of Ireland. In the first half of the 9th century, one of the leaders of the Normans Torgils   in fact held subordinate a significant part of the island. Torgils made the city its capital Athlone   on the Shannon River, by the lake Loch ri.

    The dominance of foreigners led to the liberation struggle, which intensified especially at the beginning of the XI century. The battle was led by local leaders - the king Manstera Brian borou   and ruler Mita Malachy   . Malachi defeated the Norman forces and drove the Normans out of Dublin. In 998, Malachi was recognized as king of Ulster, losing Dublin to Briand, who since 1002 took the title ard ri (High king) Ireland. Briand carried out political reform, tried to tighten the tax system, built many fortresses on the Shannon River, created a strong fleet, preparing for the upcoming battles for the liberation of Ireland from the Normans.

    At the end of 1013, taking advantage of the rebellion raised against Brian by the ruler of Dublin, the Normans began to gather strength, sending reinforcements to the Orkney Islands, Norway and Denmark. Decisive battle   happened in 1014 near Dublin near the Volovy Meadow (now Clontarf) The Normans and their allied separatists were completely defeated. 88-year-old Brian died in this battle. As a result of the Battle of Clontarf, Ireland was freed from a foreign yoke. The robber raids of the Normans also occurred after the Battle of Klontarf, but became rarer and less dangerous.

    The bicentennial domination and predatory raids of the Normans caused great damage to Ireland and slowed down its economic and social development.

    Normans in the Mediterranean

    The only hike in which the Norman ships passed through strait of Gibraltar   in Mediterranean Sea   dates from around 860 and is attributed to the semi-legendary king Of Sweden Björn the Ironfin   . Normans looted the coast North africa , Valencia , Balearic Islands , Provence   and northwest Italy   and freely returned back. Normans fell into the Mediterranean and in another way - as mercenaries   in the composition byzantine troops . In particular, in the XI century. squad of Scandinavian mercenaries participated in wars Byzantium   against normans   and sicilian arabs   behind Southern Italy   . Normans entered Byzantium through Russia.

    Norman Warriors

    The Norman military class was new and markedly different from the old frank aristocracy   , many of whose representatives could trace their origin to the times Carolingian   , and the Normans rarely could remember their ancestors before XI century   . Most knights were poor and poor in land; Normandy supplied the armed riders for a whole generation. Chivalry   at that time had a low position in society, and showed that a person is just a professional warrior.

    Tongue

    Normans spoke old Norse   , which formed around the VIII century. and existed until about the XIV century. Old Norse divided into two dialect   : east and west.

    On the basis of the western dialect, Norwegian, Faroe and Icelandic languages \u200b\u200bdeveloped, as well as extinct by the 19th century. norn   . The eastern dialect broke up into Swedish and Danish.

    In countries where Norman settlers mixed with the local population, the Old Norse language did not survive and did not develop into independent languages, but had more or less influence on local languages \u200b\u200bor their regional variants. In Normandy, the interaction of local Old French dialects with the Old Norse language led to the formation of the Norman language, which can be considered as a regional version of the Old French language. To a lesser extent, the influence of the Old Norse language is manifested in the Celtic languages \u200b\u200bof the British Isles - gaelic   , irish, manx. The English language was strongly influenced by the Old Norse language both directly from the Normans during the 8th-11th centuries and indirectly through the Norman language, which (in the Anglo-Norman version) was the official language of England under the kings of the Norman dynasty and the first kings of the dynasty Plantagenet   (from the middle of the 11th century to about the 14th century). The Scottish regional version of the English language was additionally influenced by the Scottish (Celtic) substrate, which also experienced Scandinavian influence in its time.

    Write a review on the Normans article

    Notes

    Literature

    • Anokhin G.I.   To the ethnic history of the Greenland Normans // Romania and Barbaria. To the ethnic history of the peoples of foreign Europe: Sat. / Ed. S.A. Arutyunova et al. - M. Nauka 1989 .-- S. 131-163.
    • Arbman Holger.   Vikings / Ed. A.A. Khlevova. - St. Petersburg: Eurasia, 2003 .-- 320 p. - Series "Barbaricum". - 2000 copies. - ISBN 5-8071-0133-2.
    • Bayok Jesse.   Viking Age Iceland. - M .: Astrel, 2012 .-- 912 p. - Series "Corpus".
    • Barlow Frank. William I and the Norman Conquest of England / Transl. from English S.V. Ivanova. - St. Petersburg: Eurasia, 2007 .-- 320 p. - Series "Clio". - ISBN 978-5-8071-0240-1
    • Buyer Regis.   Vikings: History and Civilization. Per. with fr. - SPb. : Eurasia, 2012 .-- 416 p. - 3000 copies. - ISBN 978-5-91852-028-4.
    • Budur N.V.   Vikings. Pirates of the North. - M .: Olma-Press, 2005 .-- 336 p. - Series “World History. Civilizations and Ethnicities. "
    • Budur N.V.   Everyday life of the Vikings. IX - XI centuries. - M.: Young Guard, 2007 .-- 463 p. - Series “Living History. The daily life of mankind. ”
    • Vikings. Forays from the North:   Sat / Per. from English L. Florentieva. - M .: Terra, 1996 .-- 168 p .: ill. - Series "Encyclopedia" Disappeared Civilizations "". - ISBN 5-300-00824-3.
    • Gedeonov S.A.   Varangians and Russia. Exposing the Norman myth. - M .: Eksmo; Algorithm, 2012 .-- 288 p. - Series “The True History of Russia”. - ISBN 978-5-699-56960-1.
    • Gorelov M.M.   The Danish and Norman conquests of England in the 11th century. - SPb .: Aleteyya, 2007 .-- 176 p. - Series "Pax Britannica". - ISBN 978-5-91419-018-4.
    • Gravett Christopher, Nicole David.   Normans. Knights and conquerors. - M .: Eksmo, 2007 .-- 256 p .: ill. - Series "Military History of Mankind". - ISBN 978-5-699-23549-0.
    • Gubanov I. B.   The culture and society of the Scandinavians of the Viking Age. - St. Petersburg: Publishing House of St. Petersburg. University, 2004 .-- 142 p.
    • Gurevich A.Ya.   Viking Campaigns. - M.: Book house "University", 2005. - 2nd ed. - 208 p. - A series of "Golden stock of knowledge." - 5,000 copies. - ISBN 5-98227-036-9.
    • Jones Gwyn.   Vikings. Descendants of Odin and Thor. - M.: Tsentrpoligraf, 2003 .-- 448 p.
    • Jones Gwyn.   Normans. Conquerors of the North Atlantic. - M.: Tsentrpoligraf, 2003 .-- 301 p.
    • Jewett Sarah Orne.   Norman Conquest. Minsk: Harvest, 2003 .-- 304 p. - Series “Historical Library”. - ISBN 985-13-1652-0.
    • Dougherty Martin J.   Viking world. The daily life of the Children of Odin / Per. from English V. L. Silaeva. - M.: Publishing House "E", 2015. - 224 p.: Ill. - Series “The Dark Side of History”. - ISBN 978-5-699-84607-8.
    • Douglas David C.   Normans: from conquest to achievement. 1050-1100 / Per. from English E. S. Marnitsina. Ed. A.A. Khlevova. - St. Petersburg: Eurasia, 2003 .-- 416 p. - Series "Clio". - ISBN 5-8071-0126-X.
    • Davidson Hilda Ellis.   Ancient Scandinavians: Sons of the Northern Gods. - M.: Tsentrpoligraf, 2008 .-- 186 p. - A series of "Mysteries of ancient civilizations."
    • Ingstad Helge.   In the wake of Happy Happy. - L .: Gidrometeoizdat, 1969 .-- 246 p.
    • Capper J.P.   The Vikings of Britain \u003d The Vikings of Britain / Nauch. ed. A.A. Khlevov. - SPb. : Eurasia, 2003 .-- 272 p. - 2000 copies. - ISBN 5-80710139-1.
    • Klein L.S.   The dispute about the Vikings. The history of the confrontation and the arguments of the parties. - St. Petersburg: Eurasia, 2009 .-- 400 p.
    • Koa Yves.   Vikings, kings of the seas. - M .: LLC "Publishing house AST", 2003. - 176 p. - Series “History. Opening".
    • Gentle G.V.   Vikings: Campaigns, discoveries, culture. - Minsk: MFTSP, 2004 .-- 322 p. - Series "Peoples of the Earth."
    • Lebedev G.S. Viking Age in Northern Europe. - L.: Publishing house of Leningrad State University, 1985 .-- 286 p. - 10,000 copies.
    •   Biarmia. Northern cradle of Russia. - M .: Algorithm, 2007 .-- 256 p.
    • Leont'ev A.I., Leont'ev M.V.   Campaigns of the Normans in Russia. Sources of Primordial Russia. - M .: Veche, 2009 .-- 320 p. - A series of "Secrets of the Russian Land."
    • Lovmyany Henrik.   Russia and Normans / Per. with the floor. under the editorship of V.T. Pashuto   . - M .: Progress, 1985 .-- 304 s.
    • Musse Lucien.   Barbarian invasions of Western Europe: Wave Two. - St. Petersburg: Eurasia, 2001 .-- 352 p. - Series "Barbaricum".
    • Nikitin A. L.   The Royal Saga // In the book: Nikitin A. L. Bonfires on the shores: Notes of an archaeologist. - M .: The Young Guard. 1986.- S. 333-493.
    • Norwich John.   Normans in Sicily. The Second Norman Conquest. 1016-1130 M .: Tsentrpoligraf, 2005 .-- 368 p.
    • Norwich John.   Normans in Sicily. The heyday and sunset of the Sicilian kingdom. 1130-1194 M .: Tsentrpoligraf, 2005 .-- 400 p.
    • Petukhov Yu. D.   Normans - Russes of the North. - M .: Veche, 2008 .-- 368 p. - A series of "Secrets of the Russian Land."
    • Rex Peter.   1066. A New History of the Norman Conquest / Per. from English I.I. Khazanova. - St. Petersburg: Eurasia, 2000 .-- 336 p.: Ill. - Series "Clio". - ISBN 978-5-91852-052-9.
    • Roesdal Elsé.   Viking world. Vikings at home and abroad / Translation from dates. F.K. Zolotarevskaya. - St. Petersburg: The World Word, 2001 .-- 272 p.
    • Rydzevskaya E.A.   Ancient Russia and Scandinavia in the 9th-14th centuries Materials and research. - M .: Nauka, 1978.- 240 p. - Series "The oldest states in the USSR."
    • Svanidze A. A.   The Vikings are the people of the saga: life and manners. - M.: New Literary Review, 2014. - 800 p. - ISBN 978-5-4448-0147-5
    • Simpson Jacqueline.   Vikings. Life, religion, culture. - M.: Tsentrpoligraf, 2005 .-- 239 p.
    • Slavs and Scandinavians:   Sat / Per. with him. Ed. Cand. filol. Sciences E. A. Melnikova. - M .: Progress, 1986. - 416 p. + 24 s. col. ill. [Orig. Ed .: Wikinger und Slawen: Zur Frühgeschichte der Ostseevölker. - Akademie-Verlag, Berlin, 1982]
    • Sawyer Peter.   Viking Age. - St. Petersburg: Eurasia, 2002 .-- 352 p. - Series "Clio Expansiva". - ISBN 5-8071-0104-9.
    • Stringholm Anders Magnus.   Viking Campaigns / Per. with him. A. Shemyakin. Ed. A.A. Khlevova. - M .: LLC "Publishing house AST", 2002. - 736 p. - Series “Historical Library”.
    • Tyander K.F.   Scandinavian trips to the White Sea. - SPb .: Type. I.N. Skorokhodova, 1906.- 464 p.
    • Fetisov A.A., Shchavelev A.S.   Vikings. Between Scandinavia and Russia. - M .: Veche, 2009 .-- 336 p. - Series "Terra Historica". - ISBN 978-5-9533-2840-1.
    • Hit I.   Vikings. History. Armament. Tactics. - M.: LLC AST, Astrel 2004. - 64 p.: Ill. - Series "Elite troops."
    • Tsepkov A.I.   The armament of the Vikings in the IX – XI centuries. According to the Icelandic sagas and the "Circle of the Earth." - Ryazan: Alexandria, 2013 .-- 320 p.
    • Chartrand R., Nicole D., Gravett K.   and other Northern conquerors. Normans and Vikings. - M .: Eksmo, 2013 .-- 448 p.: Ill. - Series "Military History of Mankind".

    see also

      [[To: Wikipedia: Articles without sources (country: Error Lua: callParserFunction: function "#property" was not found. )]] [[To: Wikipedia: Articles without sources (country: Error Lua: callParserFunction: function "#property" was not found. )]]

    Excerpt from the Normans

    I still couldn’t recover from the unusual “flight”, and Stella was already sweetly chirping something to a little tidy girl.
      “And if you are not angels, then why do you sparkle like that? ..” the little girl asked sincerely surprised, and then again she ecstatically squealed: “Oh, mother-and-mother!” How beautiful he is! ..
      Here, only we noticed that Stella’s latest “work” - her funniest red "dragon" - also "failed" with us ...

    Svetlana in 10 years

      - This ... what about this? - Already with a sigh asked the baby. - Can I play with him? .. He will not be offended?
      Mom apparently mentally severely yanked her, because the girl was suddenly very upset. Tears welled up on the warm brown eyes and it was clear that just a little more - and they would flood the river.
    - Just do not cry! - quickly asked Stella. “Do you want me to do the same for you?”
      The girl's face instantly lit up. She grabbed her mother's hand and happily screamed:
      “You hear, Mummy, I haven’t done anything wrong, and they don’t get mad at me at all!” Can I have one too? .. I’m really going to be very good! I promise you very, very much!
      Mom looked at her with sad eyes, trying to decide how to answer correctly. And the girl suddenly asked:
      “Have you not seen my dad, kind luminous girls?” He and my brother disappeared somewhere ...
      Stella looked at me questioningly. And I already knew in advance what she would offer ...
      “Do you want us to look for them?” - as I thought, she asked.
      - We already searched, we have been here for a long time. But they are not. - The woman answered very calmly.
      “And we will look differently,” Stella smiled. “Just think of them so that we can see them, and we will find them.”
      The girl screwed up her eyes funny, apparently trying very hard to mentally create a picture of her dad. A few seconds passed ...
      “Mommy, how can it be that I don’t remember him? ..” the baby was surprised.
      I heard this for the first time and, surprisingly, in my big Stella eyes, I realized that for her this was also something completely new ...
      - How so - do not you remember? - did not understand the mother.
      - Well, here I look, look and don’t remember ... How is it that I really love him? Maybe he really is no more? ..
      - Excuse me, but can you see him? I carefully asked my mother.
      The woman nodded confidently, but suddenly something in her face changed and it was clear that she was very confused.
      - No ... I can’t remember him ... Is this really possible? She said, almost scared.
      “And your son?” Can you remember Or brother? Can you remember your brother? - Addressing both at once, Stella asked.
      Mom and daughter shook their heads.
      Usually such a cheerful, Stella's face looked very worried, probably could not understand what was happening here. I literally felt the hard work of her living and such an unusual brain.
      - I thought up! I came up with! Stella suddenly whispered happily. - We will “dress” your images and go “take a walk”. If they are somewhere, they will see us. It's true?
      I liked the idea, and could only mentally “change clothes” and go in search.
      “Oh, please, can I stay with him until you return?” - persistently did not forget her desire baby. - And what is his name?
      “Not yet,” Stella smiled at her. - and you?
    - Leah. - answered the baby. “But why do you glow?” We saw such people once, but everyone said that they were angels ... And then who are you?
      - We are the same girls as you, only we live “upstairs”.
      “And where is the top?” - Little Leah did not let up.
      “Unfortunately, you can’t go there,” Stella tried to explain somehow. “Do you want me to show you?”
      The girl jumped for joy. Stella took her by the hand and opened before her her amazing fantastic world, where everything seemed so bright and happy that I did not want to believe it.
      Leah's eyes looked like two huge round saucers:
      - Oh, beauty-and-what! .... And is that a paradise? Oh mothers! .. - the girl squealed with ecstasy, but very quietly, as if afraid to frighten off this incredible vision. - And who lives there? Oh look, what a cloud! .. And the golden rain! But does this happen? ..
      “Have you ever seen a red dragon?” - Leah negatively shook her head. - Well, you see, but it happens with me, because this is my world.
      - And you then, what is God ??? “But God cannot be a girl, can it?” And then, who are you? ..
      Questions rained from her in an avalanche and Stella, not having time to answer them, laughed.
      Not busy with “questions and answers”, I began to slowly look around and was completely amazed at the unusual world that was opening up for me ... It was, in truth, a real “transparent” world. Everything around was sparkling and shimmering with some kind of blue, ghostly light, from which (as it should) for some reason it did not get cold, but on the contrary, it warmed with some unusually deep, penetrating soul. From time to time, transparent human figures swam around me, now condensing, now becoming transparent, like a luminous fog ... This world was very beautiful, but somehow unstable. It seemed that he was changing all the time, just not knowing how to stay forever ...
      - Well, are you ready to "walk"? - pulled me out of my dreams peppy Stellin voice.
      - Where are we going? - waking up, I asked.
      - Let's go look for the missing! - the baby smiled cheerfully.
      “Dear girls, will you still allow me to guard your little dragon while you walk?” - for no reason wanting to forget him, having looked down her round eyes, asked little Leah.
      - Well, guardians. - Graciously allowed Stella. - Just don’t let anyone, otherwise he’s still a baby and may be afraid.
      - Oh, what about you, how can you! .. I will love him very much until you return ...
    The girl was ready just out of her skin to flaunt her incredible “miracle dragon”, and this “miracle” was puffed and puffed, apparently trying her best to please, as if she felt that it was about him ...
      “When will you come again?” Will you come very soon, dear girls? - secretly dreaming that we will come very soon, the baby asked.
      Stella and I were separated from them by a flickering transparent wall ...
      - Where do we start? - Seriously asked a preoccupied little girl. “I’ve never seen anything like this, but I’ve been here not so long ago ... Now we have to do something, right? .. After all, we promised!”
      - Well, let's try to “put on” their images, as you suggested? - Without thinking twice, I said.
      Stella quietly “conjured” something, and after a second it looked like a tidy Leah, but naturally, I got Mom, which made me very amused ... But we put on ourselves, as I understood, just energy images, with the help of whom we hoped to find the missing people we needed.
      - This is the positive side of using other people's images. And there is also a negative one - when someone uses it for bad purposes, like the essence that Grandma’s “key” put on herself so that she could beat me. This was all explained to me by Grandma ...
      It was funny to hear how this tiny little girl professed such serious truths with a professorial voice ... But she really took everything very seriously, despite her sunny, happy character.
      - Well - let's go, "girl Leah"? I asked with great impatience.
      I really wanted to see these, other, "floors" so far I had enough strength for this. I already managed to notice how big the difference was between this, in which we were now, and the "upper", Stellin's "floor". Therefore, it was very interesting to quickly “plunge” into another unfamiliar world and learn about it, if possible, as much as possible, because I was not at all sure if I would ever come back here.
      - And why is this "floor" much denser than the previous one, and more filled with entities? I asked.
    “I don't know ...” Stella shrugged her fragile shoulders. - Maybe because here live just good people who did no harm to anyone while they lived in their last life. Therefore, there are more. And upstairs there are entities that are "special" and very strong ... - here she laughed. “But I'm not talking to myself if you thought it!” Although my grandmother says that my essence is very old, more than a million years ... It's terrible, how much, right? Who knows what was a million years ago on Earth? .. - the girl said thoughtfully.
      “Or maybe you were not on Earth at all then?”
      “And where?! ..” Stella asked in shock.
      - Well I do not know. Can't you see? ”I asked.
      It seemed to me then that with her abilities EVERYTHING is possible! .. But, to my great surprise, Stella shook her head negatively.
      - I still know very little, only what my grandmother taught. “As if sorry,” she answered.
      “Do you want me to show you my friends?” I suddenly asked.
      And without letting her think, I unfolded our meetings in my memory when my wonderful “star friends” came to me so often, and when it seemed to me that there could be nothing more interesting ...
      “Oh, this is some kind of beauty! ...” Stella breathed with delight. And suddenly, when she saw the same strange signs that they showed me many times, she exclaimed: “Look, it was they who taught you! .. Oh, how interesting it is!”
      I stood in a completely frozen state and could not utter a word ... They taught ??? ... Have I really had some important information in my brain all these years, and instead of somehow understanding it, I , like a blind kitten, floundering in her petty attempts and conjectures, trying to find some kind of truth in them ?!
      Without even knowing what it taught me there, I simply “raged” from indignation at myself for such an oversight. Just think, some "secrets" were revealed right in front of my nose, but I didn’t understand anything! .. Probably, they definitely didn’t open that !!!
      - Oh, don’t get so killed! - laughed Stella. “You show your grandmother and she will explain to you.”
      - And you can ask - who is your grandmother after all? - embarrassed that I enter “private territory”, I asked.
      Stella thought about it, funny wrinkling her nose (she had this funny habit when she was seriously thinking about something), and did not say very confidently:
    - I don’t know ... Sometimes it seems to me that she knows everything, and that she is very, very old ... We had a lot of photographs at home, and she is the same everywhere - the same as now. I never saw how young she was. Strange, right?
      “And you never asked? ..”
      “No, I think she would tell me if it were necessary ... Oh, look! Oh, how beautiful! .. - suddenly the little girl squealed in delight, pointing her finger at the strange, sparkling gold waves of the sea. Of course, this was not the sea, but the waves really were very similar to the sea - they rolled heavily, overtaking each other, as if playing, only at the place of the break, instead of the snow-white sea foam, everything was sparkling and overflowing with pure gold spraying with thousands of transparent golden splashes ... It was very beautiful. And we, of course, wanted to see all this beauty closer ...
      When we came close enough, I suddenly heard thousands of voices that sounded at the same time, as if playing some strange, unlike anything magical melody. It was not a song, and not even our usual music ... It was something completely unthinkable and indescribable ... but it sounded amazing.
      - Oh, this is a thinking sea! Oh, you will definitely like it! - Stella squealed merrily.
      “I like it already, but is it dangerous?”
      - No, no, don’t worry! This is just to calm the "lost" souls, who are still sad after coming here ... I listened to him here for hours ... It is alive, and for each soul it sings different. Do you want to listen?
      And I just noticed that in these golden, sparkling waves many entities are splashing ... Some of them simply lay on the surface, swaying gently on the waves, others dived into the “gold” with their heads, and for a long time did not appear, apparently completely immersed into a mental “concert” and without any haste to return from there ...
      - Well, what - listen? - impatiently pushing me baby.
    We came close ... And I felt a wonderfully soft touch of a sparkling wave ... It was something incredibly gentle, surprisingly gentle and soothing, and at the same time, penetrating the very “outback” of my surprised and slightly wary soul ... Quiet "music" ran through my foot, vibrating in millions of different shades, and, rising up, began to envelop me with my head in something fabulously beautiful, something that defied any words ... I felt like I was flying, although there was no flight there was no reality. It was wonderful! .. Each cell was dissolved and melted in the oncoming new wave, and sparkling gold washed me through, taking away everything bad and sad and leaving only pure, primordial light in my soul ...
      I didn’t even feel how I entered and plunged into this sparkling miracle almost with my head. It was just incredibly good and I never wanted to go out of there ...
      - Well, that's enough already! The task is waiting for us! - the energetic Stellin burst into the radiant beauty. - Did you like it?
      - Oh, how! I gasped. - So did not want to go out! ..
      - Exactly! And some “bathe” until the next incarnation ... And then they don’t come back here anymore ...
      “Where are they going?” - I was surprised.
      - Below ... Grandma says that here you also need to earn a place for yourself ... And whoever just waits and rests, he "works out" in the next incarnation. I think it's true ...
      - And what is there below? I asked with interest.
      “It's not so nice there, believe me.” - Slyly smiled Stella.
      - Is this the sea, is it only one, or are there many of them?
      “You will see ... It’s all different - where is the sea, where is it just a“ view ”, and where is it just an energy field full of different flowers, streams and plants, and all this also heals souls and soothes ... just not so- then just use it - you must first earn it.
      - And who does not deserve? Do they not live here? ”I did not understand.
      “They live, they live, but not so beautiful ...” the little girl shook her head. - Here, just as on Earth, nothing is given for nothing, but here the values \u200b\u200bhere are completely different. And who does not want to - and everything is much simpler. All this beauty cannot be bought, it can only be earned ...
      “You are speaking right now like your grandmother, as if you had learned her words ...” I smiled.
      - The way it is! - returned the smile Stella. “I try to remember a lot of what she’s talking about.” Even the fact that I still do not quite understand ... But I will understand someday, right? And then, perhaps, there will already be nobody to teach ... That will help.
    Here, we suddenly saw a very incomprehensible, but very attractive picture - on a shining, fluffy-transparent blue earth, like a cloud, there was a cluster of entities that constantly replaced each other and took someone somewhere, after returning again.
      - And what's that? What are they doing there? I asked, puzzled.
      - Oh, they only help “newcomers” to come, so that it won’t be scary. This is where new entities come in. - calmly said Stella.
      “Have you already seen all this?” Can we see?
      - Well, of course! - and we came closer ...
      And I saw an action absolutely breathtaking in its beauty ... In a complete emptiness, as if out of nothing, a transparent luminous ball suddenly appeared and, like a flower, opened right there, releasing a new entity that looked completely bewildered around, still nothing understanding ... And then, the waiting entities embraced the “newcomer” with a bunch of warm sparkling energy, as if calming, and immediately led away somewhere.
      “Do they come after death? ..”, for some reason, I asked very quietly.
      Stella nodded and answered sadly:
      - When I arrived, we went to different "floors", my family and me. It was very lonely and sad ... But now everything is fine. I went to them many times - they are now happy.
      “Are they right here on this“ floor ”? .. - I could not believe.
      Stella nodded her head sadly again, and I decided I won’t ask again so as not to stir up her bright, kind soul.
      We walked along an unusual road that appeared and disappeared as we stepped on it. The road flickered softly and seemed to lead, pointing the way, as if knowing where to go ... There was a pleasant sensation of freedom and lightness, as if the whole world around us had suddenly become completely weightless.
      “Why does this road tell us where to go?” - I could not stand it.
      - She does not indicate, she helps. - answered the baby. “Everything here consists of thought, forgot?” Even trees, the sea, roads, flowers - everyone hears what we are thinking about. This is a truly pure world ... probably what people are used to calling Paradise ... You can’t be fooled here.
      “And then where is Hell? .. Does it also exist?”
      - Oh, I will definitely show you! This is the lower "floor" and there IS SUCH !!! ... - Stella shrugged her shoulders, apparently remembering something not very pleasant.
      We were still moving on, and then I noticed that the environment began to change little by little. Transparency began to fade somewhere, giving way to a much more "dense", similar to terrestrial, landscape.
      - What happens, where are we? - I was wary.
    - It's all there. - Absolutely calmly answered the baby. - Only now we are already in the part that is simpler. Remember, we just talked about this? Here, for the most part, those who have just come. When they see a landscape similar to their usual one, it’s easier for them to perceive their “transition” to this new world for them ... Well and also, there live those who don’t want to be better than they are, and don’t willing to make the slightest effort to achieve something higher.
      “So this“ floor ”consists of two parts?” I said.
      - You could say that. - The girl answered thoughtfully, and unexpectedly switched to another topic. - Something no one here pays any attention to us. Do you think they are not here?
      Looking around, we stopped, having no idea what to do next.
      - Let's take a risk “lower”? - asked Stella.
      I felt the baby was tired. Yes, and I, too, was very far from my best form. But I was almost sure that she was not going to give up, so I nodded in response.
      “Well, then you need to prepare a little ...” belligerent Stella said, biting her lip and seriously concentrating. “Do you know how to put yourself in strong defense?”
      - Seems Yes. But I do not know how strong she will be. - I answered embarrassedly. I really did not want to let her down right now.
      “Show me,” the girl asked.
      I realized that this was not a whim, and that she was just trying to help me. Then I tried to concentrate and made my green “cocoon”, which I always made to myself when I needed serious protection.
      “Wow! ..” Stella opened her eyes in surprise. - Well, then let's go.
      This time, our flight down was already not as pleasant as the previous one ... For some reason, it was very tight in the chest and it was hard to breathe. But little by little, all this seemed to be leveled, and I was surprised to stare at the eerie landscape that was revealed to us ...
    The heavy, blood-red sun sparingly illuminated the dull, violet-brown silhouettes of distant mountains ... Deep cracks crept along the earth like giant snakes, from which a dense, dark-orange fog broke out and merged with the surface, becoming like a bloody shroud . Strange, as if restless, entities of people who wandered around very densely, almost physically wandered around ... They either appeared or disappeared without paying any attention to each other, as if they had not seen anyone except themselves and lived only in their own, closed from the rest of the world. In the distance, while still not approaching, sometimes dark figures of some monstrous animals appeared. There was danger, it smelled of horror, I wanted to run away from here headlong, not turning back ...
      “Are we right in Hell or something?” - horrified by what I saw, I asked.
      “But you wanted to see how it looks - so you looked.” - Stressed, smiling, Stella.
      It was felt that she was expecting some kind of trouble. And, in my opinion, there simply could not be anything else but troubles ...
      “And you know, sometimes there come across good entities who just made big mistakes.” And to be honest, I really feel sorry for them ... Can you imagine - wait here for your next incarnation here ?! Horror!

Share with friends:
Similar publications